They burn and slay, and bring them to mischance
Full many a day: but shortly this is th’ end,
Homeward to Rome they shaped them to wend.
This senator repaired with victóry
To Romë-ward, sailing full royally,
And met the ship driving, as saith the story,
In which Constancë sat full piteously:
And nothing knew he what she was, nor why
She was in such array; nor she will say
Of her estate, although that she should dey.1701
He brought her unto Rome, and to his wife
He gave her, and her youngë son also:
And with the senator she led her life.
Thus can our Lady bringen out of woe
Woeful Constance, and many another mo’:
And longë time she dwelled in that place,
In holy works ever, as was her grace.
The senatorë’s wife her auntë was,
But for all that she knew her ne’er the more:
I will no longer tarry in this case,
But to King Alla, whom I spake of yore,
That for his wifë wept and sighed sore,
I will return, and leave I will Constance
Under the senatorë’s governance.
King Alla, which that had his mother slain,
Upon a day fell in such repentánce;
That, if I shortly tell it shall and plain,
To Rome he came to receive his penitánce,
And put him in the Popë’s ordinance
In high and low, and Jesus Christ besought
Forgive his wicked works that he had wrought.
The fame anon throughout the town is borne,
How Alla king shall come on pilgrimage,
By harbingers that wentë him beforn,
For which the senator, as was uságe,
Rode him again,1702 and many of his lineáge,
As well to show his high magnificence,
As to do any king a reverence.
Great cheerë1703 did this noble senator
To King Allá and he to him also;
Each of them did the other great honór;
And so befell, that in a day or two
This senator did to King Alla go
To feast, and shortly, if I shall not lie,
Constance’s son went in his company.
Some men would say,1704 at réquest of Constance
This senator had led this child to feast:
I may not tellen every circumstance,
Be as be may, there was he at the least:
But sooth is this, that at his mother’s hest1705
Before Allá, during the meatë’s space,1706
The child stood, looking in the kingë’s face.
This Alla king had of this child great wonder,
And to the senator he said anon,
“Whose is that fairë child that standeth yonder?”
“I n’ot,”1707 quoth he, “by God and by Saint John;
A mother he hath, but father hath he none,
That I of wot:” and shortly in a stound1708
He told to Alla how this child was found.
“But God wot,” quoth this senator also,
“So virtuous a liver in all my life
I never saw, as she, nor heard of mo’
Of worldly woman, maiden, widow or wife:
I dare well say she haddë lever1709 a knife
Throughout her breast, than be a woman wick’,1710
There is no man could bring her to that prick.1711
Now was this child as like unto Constance
As possible is a creature to be:
This Alla had the face in remembránce
Of Dame Constance, and thereon mused he,
If that the childë’s mother were aught she1712
That was his wife; and privily he sight,1713
And sped him from the table that he might.1714
“Parfay,”1715 thought he, “phantom1716 is in mine head.
I ought to deem, of skilful judgëment,1717
That in the saltë sea my wife is dead.”
And afterward he made his argument,
“What wot I, if that Christ have hither sent
My wife by sea, as well as he her sent
To my country, from thennës that she went?”
And, after noon, home with the senator
Went Alla, for to see this wondrous chance.
This senator did Alla great honór,
And hastily he sent after Constance:
But trustë well, her listë not to dance.
When that she wistë wherefore was that sond,1718
Unneth1719 upon her feet she mightë stand.
When Alla saw his wife, fair he her gret,1720
And wept, that it was ruthë for to see,
For at the firstë look he on her set
He knew well verily that it was she:
And she, for sorrow, as dumb stood as a tree:
So was her heartë shut in her distress,
When she remember’d his unkindëness.
Twicë she swooned in his owen sight,
He wept and him excused piteously:
“Now God,” quoth he, “and all his hallows1721 bright
So wisly1722 on my soulë have mercý,
That of your harm as guiltëless am I,
As is Mauríce my son, so like your face,
Else may the fiend me fetch out of this place.”
Long was the sobbing and the bitter pain,
Ere that their woeful heartës mightë cease;
Great was the pity for to hear them plain,1723
Through whichë plaintës gan their woe increase.
I pray you all my labour to release,
I may not tell all their woe till to-morrow,
I am so weary for to speak of sorrow.
But finally, when that the sooth is wist,1724
That Alla guiltless was of all her woe,
I trow an hundred timës have they kiss’d,
And such a bliss is there betwixt them two,
That, save the joy that lasteth evermo’,
There is none like, that any creatúre
Hath seen, or shall see, while the world may dure.
Then prayed she her husband meekëly
In the relief of her long piteous pine,1725
That he would pray her father specially,
That of his majesty he would incline
To vouchësafe some day with him to dine:
She pray’d him eke, that he should by no way
Unto her father no word of her say.
Some men would say, how that the child Mauríce
Did this messáge unto the emperor:
But, as I guess, Alla was not so nice,1726
To him that is so sovereign of honór
As he that is of Christian folk the flow’r,
Send any child, but better ’tis to deem
He went himself; and so it may well seem.
This emperor hath granted gentilly
To come to dinner, as he him besought:
And well rede1727 I, he looked busily
Upon this child, and on his daughter thought.
Alla went to his inn,
